ARAB-RUSSIAN POLITICS

I will bring thee forth, and all thine army … Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them.

—Ezek. 38:4, 5

BIBLE PROPHECY PREDICTS AN ALLIANCE OF ARAB AND RUSSIAN FORCES AGAINST ISRAEL.

274 Soviet Aid To The Arabs

Prior to the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, Russia had given the Arab nations about $6 billion in military aid since 1955. Of this, about 3.1 billion dollars went to Egypt, 1.2 billion to Iraq, 950 million to Syria and almost 600 million to Algeria.

During the war, heavy losses of Soviet-supplied equipment under the Arab forces were suffered, including at least half a billion dollars worth of late-type Russia aircraft.

But so great was the flow of Soviet resupply that all equipment lost by the Arabs during the war were replaced by mid-November that year.

The next illustration shows how this resupply was made.

275 Russian Resupply During 1973 War

The Russians began their massive resupply effort on October 10—four days after fighting started. First, they put on alert two airborne divisions plus special airborne units.

Then, what is described as the largest single military rail movement since World War II went into operation in Eastern Europe. Trains in Russia’s European satellites were commandeered. Hundreds of freight cars were moved to East Germany. There they picked up military equipment and took it to airfields in Hungary and ports on the Black Sea.

From Hungary, Soviet transports flew the equipment over Yugoslavia and the Mediterranean Sea to Egypt and Syria. Soviet supply flights also were known to have crossed Turkey and Iran.

Ships carried heavy equipment through the Bosporus and Dardanelles to Arab ports on the Mediterranean. This sealift continued until the Arabs were fully resupplied.

—U. S. News and World Report

276 Africa In Soviet Party Congress

Of the 103 delegations that attended the 25th Soviet Communist Party Congress in 1975, 11 were from black African nations—Angola, Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malagasy Republic, Mozambique, Namibia, Rhodesia, Senegal, Somalia and Tanzania, plus the outlawed South African Communist Party.

Soviet military aid is going to 11 African countries, and 19 African states have Russian military advisers instructing their armed forces.

PARADOXICALLY, BIBLE PROPHECY ALSO PREDICTS THE INVASION OF ARAB TERRITORIES BY SOVIET FORCES—DANIEL 11:42, 43. THUS, WE SEE TODAY AN INNATE SUSPICION OF THE RUSSIANS BY ARAB NATIONS.

277 Communist Arms, Yes! Communism, No!

In 1971 when it looked as if the Sudan might fall under the control of a pro-Communist regime, Egypt swiftly moved to prevent that from happening. They airlifted some 2,000 Sudanese troops from the Suez Canal to Khartoum, flying them there is Soviet-supplied Antonov transports.

A seeming paradox exists: Although the Soviet Union has strong influence in the Arab world, there is strong and often savage resistance toward local Communism.

278 No Diplomatic Relations

Arabs know full well that they have a powerful “ally of convenience” in Russia. King Faisal of Saudi Arabia sent a cable of congratulations to the Soviet leaders on the occasion of the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution early in November 1973. But the Saudis have no diplomatic relations with Russia, and no plans for such relations.

Almost all of the Arab leaders are bitterly and openly anti-Communist as they are also anti-Zionist and anti-Israeli. There is no serious talk of forming a real alliance with the Soviet Union.

279 Condemning The Russians

In the UN General Assembly in 1980, Arab-African nations voted overwhelmingly (38–4) to demand withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. This included Iraq, which has a treaty with Russia.

In the same year, foreign ministers of 43 Islamic Nations met in Pakistan and condemned by consensus the Soviets in Afghanistan and in the Horn of Africa, while down-playing criticism with USA’s dispute with Iran.

280 Western Technology In Arab World

When the Suez Canal was being cleared after the Arab-Israeli War of 1973, it was American, Egyptian, British and French naval personnel working together who did the job. More than 10,000 bombs, mines, rockets and other explosives, plus 25,000 projectiles of various types were lifted. Ten large sunken ships and 80 smaller ones were removed at enormous expense. It cost 7 million dollars just to clear the large wrecks, using special “liftships” towed to Egypt from the United States.

See also: Middle East ; Oil.